U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls To 4.0%, Economy Added 143,000 Jobs In JanuaryJohn Carney 7 Feb 2025
Employers in the United States added 143,000 workers to their payrolls in January, the Department of Labor said Friday, and the unemployment rate slipped to 4.0 percent.
Economists had been expecting 168,000 jobs and an unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent, according to a survey by Econoday.
The figures are seasonally adjusted. In January, there is typically a large downshift in employment in the retail sector, as businesses downsize following the holiday shopping season. Without seasonal adjustment, the data show the economy shed nearly 2.9 million jobs in January.
Private-sector employment grew by 111,000, less than the 140,000. Government employment expanded by 32,000. Healthcare and social assistance—the so-called government-adjacent sectors—added 66,000. Private sector employment excluding the government-adjacent sectors rose by just 45,000.
Manufacturing employment grew by a soft 3,000 and construction by just 4,000. Employment in mining, which includes energy extraction, fell. The goods-producing sectors combined were flat for the month.
The private services sector added 111,000. Retail trade expanded, although this is heavily influenced by seasonal adjustments. Transportation and utilities added 1,100 jobs. Professional and business services contracted. Leisure and hospitality shed 3,000 jobs. The information sector added 2,000 jobs and the financial sector 7,000.
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https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/02/07/u-s-unemployment-rate-fell-to-4-0-though-economy-added-just-143000-jobs-in-january/
